AC Milan accepts €45M bid from Galatasaray for Rafael Leao

AC Milan and Galatasaray have reached an agreement on a €45 million deal for Rafael Leao, with performance-based bonuses on top. The verbal agreement, struck on August 26, moves one of Serie A’s most electrifying attackers to Istanbul in what would rank among the most significant signings in Turkish football history. Leao is now working through personal terms with Galatasaray, where he’s expected to earn roughly €12 million per season on a four-year contract. A transfer saga that dragged through the summer This wasn’t a snap decision by Milan’s front office. Earlier in the window, Galatasaray came knocking with bids around €35 million plus bonuses, and Milan showed them the door. At the outset of the transfer window, Milan’s asking price sat in the €50-60 million range. The final agreed fee of €45 million plus add-ons represents a compromise, though it still falls short of the €49.5 million Milan originally paid Lille to acquire Leao back in 2019. Galatasaray wasn’t the only club circling. Aston Villa submitted a competing offer reportedly valued at €42 million plus €3 million in add-ons. Fenerbahce was also linked with a move at various points during the window. But Galatasaray’s ...